Short Messages
by TheTornPage
Summary: The city is overrun with aliens, it's been months since we've seen each other. All I can do is wait for the short messages you send me every so often. I cling to them. I miss you Raphael. (This is lame. But is set before into the woods and up until return to New York)


So this fic is a long time coming, I've had it in my brain for the longest time but I work 43 hours a week so I have no time at all to write. SO! To sum this up, I had tried to imagine if the turtles had a friend (or in this case a girlfriend) that they told to flee the city before they left for the farmhouse! For some reason I picture this as being Raphael's girlfriend. I see him as the kinda dude that puts everyone's needs before his own, but considering that this is a big deal- like the fate of the world is at stake- He's a bit of a forward thinker too.

So, in this one shot(which is gonna be a bit confusing) Raphael has a nagging feeling something is wrong and tells his chick to get outta town! (To beautiful sunny side resorts!)

I also try to include the other brothers as much as possible, I see her as their friend just as much as she is Raph's girlfriend.

Short Messages

The bell rang at 4 and I was in my car by 4:05. With any luck I could finish my biology project before 6 and be at the lair for dinner. _Raph is probably super crazy worried by now. I haven't gone down to see them for a few days. _Slamming the door to my '97 Chevy S10, I twisted the pair of pliers my dad had rigged to the ignition when I lost my keys; it took a few twists before the engine finally turned over and the truck rattled to life. My fingers reached for the broken radio dial but decided against it, once the truck was in motion you couldn't hear anything but the engine.

On the short drive from the school parking lot to my apartment complex, I'd vaguely noticed the gloomy atmosphere. Something was up, I could feel it. _I'll just ask the guys when I see them tonight. _My truck comes to a halt in my reserved parking spot, the breaks squealing with the desire to be changed. _Car repair shops charge money. Money I don't have. _And there was no way in hell I would trust Donnie with my shitty old truck. I loved it just the way it is. Shitty and falling apart. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and pushed the door closed with a grunt. The door handle shifted out of place and all I could do is sigh and continue up to my building.

I took the three flights of stairs up to my apartment; that I shared with my older brother. The rest of my family still lived in Texas. I tugged the keys out of my pocket and leaned against the door, which gave way to my weight. _Why is it unlocked? _Before I could call for my brother my eyes locked with Sharp green irises. "There's not a lot of time, I already packed your bag. Aaron is packing his right now." I shake my head at the sound of his voice. I've never heard him speak that way. So deep, serious, worried. The expression on his face gave me no answers when I searched, an almost stone cold look etched into his green skin. "Raphael? What are you talking about?" Stepping into the living room I shut the door behind me. He's still got that solid face, unwavering as to not give anything away. "The Karang, we're going to do whatever we can to stop them but-" Raphael's face finally falls and his gaze shifts to the floor. "I know we aren't going to win. I know it Amber. And whenever that happens, I won't let you be here to see it."

For the first time since I walked in I take a chance to glance around my apartment, most of our photos have been torn down and tossed into a few boxes, my brother's game console and game collection is in another box. "So you're kicking me out of the city? On a gut feeling?" Raph slams a fist down on the counter the his left. "God damnit Amber! If I could make everyone in this city leave, right now, I would. But I can't!" He looks to me again, desperate eyes meeting mine. "I can make you leave. I can, and will protect you. So, you and Aaron are going to get in his car and drive. As far away as you can, don't stop." Instinctively I'm drawn closer to him as he speaks to me, I rest my hands on his shoulders. "So that's it then. I don't get a say in this at all." Raph smiles fondly down at me, his head shakes. "I already made up my mind and if I have to tie you up and shove you in Aaron's trunk, you will leave this city today." A smile finally breaks through my lips. I couldn't change his mind if I wanted to. "You better fucking call me and let me know you're okay. Because if I go too long without a text or call or something I- I will be on my way here looking for your sorry ass." He chuckles, smart ass smirk ever present. "I'll be fine, it's Mikey I'm worried about." I allow myself to enjoy it, to press myself closer, wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him hard. Raphael _devours _me. It's like our first kiss a million times over. He' pressing into me so hard our teeth knock together, his beak smushes my nose and his arms are wrapped so tight around me it hurts. But I don't complain. His might be all we have, all we can get. I take it in stride and sprint with it.

It's over sooner than I wanted, we separate breathless and red in the face. His eyes are filled with so much love for me I can barely stand it and it makes it all that much harder to catch my breath again. "I love you." I say proudly, a proclamation I've never found embarrassing. At the beginning of our relationship I would whisper the words to him through the phone before we fell asleep, shout it out as I passed the turn styles on my way out of the sewers. He would get a red tinge to his green cheeks and the color would make me giggle like a school girl. I was always ready to tell Raph how much he meant to me, no matter where we were. But he was nervous around his family, wouldn't dare give them a reason to tease him. "I love you more." But he got over it. I close my eyes and nuzzle his cheek for a moment. "I love you most." Raphael places a long kiss on the top of my head before squeezing me and releasing me in the same breath. "I have to go." I watch him walk to my window, the sais strapped to his shell catch the light and I smile to myself. "If anyone can save the world, it's you baby." I find myself voicing my thoughts aloud and Raphael laughs loudly at the statement. Glancing at me as he leans out my window to leave. "You know I got things handled."

It's almost a week later before I get the first message. I'm sitting on the couch in my sisters living room reading "The Great Gatsby" for the fourth time. My phone buzzes on the coffee table before me. Not closing my book, I blindly reach for my cell phone. When my fingers find the device it's buzzing again, I look down curiously. _Hot Head _Is titled in the banner across my home screen. "Raphael?" I hear myself whisper. My book clatters against the floor as I open the messages and read.

_I knew we would lose and we did. Leo's hurt really bad Amber, he hasn't woken up for the past week. The Kraang have the city and we are hiding out upstate at April's old farmhouse. _

_Stay safe baby, I miss you like crazy. Don't you dare leave your sisters house._

My thumbs were frozen. Leo was hurt? They lost? April's farmhouse? Leo was hurt? I wracked my brain for answers. _Should I comfort him? Ask what's happened? Demand explanations? Hunt down April's farmhouse? _ Before I had a chance to respond with my own message another one came in.

_Service here isn't ideal. And I'm not leaving Leo. I'll text you when I can, but don't expect much back. _

With my mind still reeling I decided to push my questions to the back burner.

_I love you Raph. Be careful._

The next message came from Donnie, not Raph. It came three weeks after the first.

_I've been told to let you know we're fine. Leo is still worse for ware and hasn't woken up, I believe he's in a coma. Raphael refuses to leave his side. I'll do what I can to keep you updated._

My response was instantaneous.

_Don't worry about me. I'm fine here in Texas. Focus on Leo, don't feel the need to keep me posted. Family first Donatello. I can wait._

I didn't receive a response after that and the next message didn't come for another two months.

It was simple enough, a few short words that gave me all the reassurance I needed.

_Leo's awake. I'll talk to you soon_

I grinned down at the message from Raphael. I had chosen not to answer the short text. I imagined him typing up the short message in the hallway before rejoining his family and tucking his T-phone away. He would let me know if anything else important happened.

That's all that mattered.

The next morning I woke to another message from Donatello.

_Things at the farmhouse are getting better. Try not to worry too much. _

With a little smile I shot a quick text back.

_Thanks Donnie_

Not a week later my phone buzzed to life again with messages.

_Things here are insane._

_I miss you like crazy._

_It's fucking 3am here. _

_Remember the time we snuck out to watch the stars, at 3am you remembered you had homework and ended up not getting any sleep and blaming me for it._

_I love you. I miss your voice. I miss your eyes, smile, hair. Your kisses. I miss everything about you. _

_I'm gonna try and get some sleep, I'm training with Leo tomorrow. Er- today. I love you._

My eyes burned as the tears ran down my cheeks and my lips trembled. How much I missed him too. My heart ached every day. The nights going to sleep without a kiss, waking up alone instead of with him on the couch in the lair.

_I love you so much Raphael._

_Be careful and don't be reckless._

_We'll be together again soon._

_Goodnight my fiery hothead._

I didn't get many messages after that. A few here and there, sometimes I would get a few at a time. They never really morphed into conversation. The longer the messages were, the more it hurt. Knowing that it had once been so simple to just take a trip down to the lair and watch a movie, now all we could do was send and receive text messages. –When the service was good enough. Sometimes it would take a few days for the messages to send-

Months passed since I'd left new York.

So much time had been spent away from my home that my sister insisted I enroll in a school here. I opted instead to take a GED course and graduate. With highschool completed and nothing much else to do, I waited. I would curl up in my bed in the guest bedroom with my phone in a firm grip. Waiting, hoping someone would text or call. Let me know everything was going to be okay.

It was late. I wasn't sure how late, but Space Heroes was on and I couldn't pass up the 24 hour marathon on channel six. My eyelids had grown heavy, my shoulders slouching with tiredness. A quick nap wouldn't hurt anyone.

As I readjusted my position on the couch I felt the vibration of my cell phone under my backside. I quickly shoved the blanket off my legs and pulled the phone up close to my face so I could read.

I read and re-read the words over and over again.

_We're going back to NYC. Call you when it's safe. I love you. _

Almost six months worth of waiting, holding back my long messages, all the words I had to say! Came bursting forth in a wave.

_Damn it Raphael. You better be careful- if you get hurt I swear to God I will kill you. You better save the damn world and do it in style because you are too great to do it any other way. You better kick some serious ass and fix that city so I can come home. So that I can curl up beside you and watch movies. So I can kiss you with all this pent up sexual frustration! I love you more than anything in this world Raphael. And I will be waiting for you. You're my Hero._

Wasn't that awful? Leave me a review if you please ^~^ Like I said, This is late, I had intended to write this months ago. But I work for a living and I haven't had the chance to get it all written out. I hope it was still worth the read! Lots of love guys thanks for reading!


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